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Day 1
ARRIVE SAN FRANCISCO (3 NIGHTS)
Welcome to San Francisco and Wine Country! After checking in at your hotel, feel free to start your discovery of San Francisco and get a preview of the many sites you will visit in the coming days. At 6 p.m., gather at the hotel with your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 2
SAN FRANCISCO SIGHTSEEING
After a leisurely breakfast, begin your day with a Local Speciality with a visit to San Francisco's famous Saturday morning Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market for a food-tasting adventure and Small Group Sightseeing. After some time on your own for lunch at Fishermans Wharf, set out for a real insider's experience of Haight Ashbury, ground zero for the hippie generation in the '60s. Join a Local Expert for a Small Group Sightseeing walk in the footsteps of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and The Grateful Dead and learn about the impact of the alternative rock culture on San Francisco and the world. This evening, join your Travel Director on a walking tour through Chinatown, exploring the neighbourhood's fascinating history. Inhale the pungent scents of the tea and herbal shops, admire the Chinese-style buildings, and enjoy a Local Speciality during a stop at the Golden Gate Cookie Factory to watch how fortune cookies are made. Tonight, enjoy a Your Choice Dining experience when you select a dinner location from one of four San Francisco restaurants.
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Day 3
SAN FRANCISCO AT LEISURE
You have the entire day to explore glorious, exciting, eccentric San Francisco on your own. Ride the cable cars, shop Union Square, or visit the museums and gardens of Golden Gate Park. If you're a foodie, you can eat your way through San Francisco's eclectic neighbourhoods on an optional Tastes of the City tour. You can also venture further away on optional trips to Carmel and Monterey, Muir Woods National Monument or Yosemite National Park. Your Travel Director will be happy to help make any arrangements for you.
Day 4
SAN FRANCISCO - SONOMA - NAPA (4 NIGHTS)
Leave your hearts in San Francisco as you set out in search of Bacchus in California's world-renowned Wine Country. Pass through the quaint towns of Glen Ellen and Kenwood before arriving in Sonoma for some at leisure time and lunch on your own. Stroll historic Sonoma Plaza, flanked by the Presidio and Mission San Francisco de Solano—the last California mission built—and browse the unique gift shops. Enjoy a Local Speciality during a visit to an Olive Press in Sonoma where you take a tour and learn about the harvesting process and making of olive oil. This afternoon, retreat to a private blending lab at Ravenswood Winery and create, taste and bottle your own perfect combination of Carignane, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel for a Wine Tasting.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 5
NAPA VALLEY EXCURSION
Starting with a visit to downtown Napa and the Oxbow public market, today is a day devoted to tasting the savoury, sweet, salty and spicy flavours of California Wine Country. Sample creamy, pungent and delicate locally produced artisan cheeses; nibble on cured salami and speciality sausages; and sate your sweet tooth with a tasting of decadent chocolates. You'll have a chance to shop for your own treats before travelling on to the quaint town of St. Helena and the V. Sattui Winery. After touring the winery, prepare your palate for an outstanding selection of wines for a wine tasting then relax at a picnic Highlight Lunch on the beautiful grounds. This evening in Sonoma, celebrate a wonderful holiday with a Be My Guest dinner at a winery where you'll also enjoy a private tour and sample estate-produced wines.
Day 6
NAPA AT LEISURE
You have a free day to explore Napa on your own! Spend the day around town, enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the charming restaurants or shop for antiques and crafts. If you are feeling extra adventurous, join an optional sunrise balloon flight over the vineyards or a journey through the bucolic countryside with lunch aboard the vintage rail cars of the Napa Valley Wine Train.
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Day 7
CALISTOGA EXCURSION
Travel the scenic drive north to St. Helena. Then, join a guided private tour of Castello di Amorosa, a 107-room, Tuscan-style castle and winery. Learn the Local Speciality of the castle vintners who combine traditional wine making methods with modern technology to produce wines similar to the hand-crafted wines from Italy's Tuscany and Umbria regions. And, you'll enjoy a wine tasting, of course! Lunch is on your own in downtown Calistoga, noted for its hot springs and geyser. Continue on to explore the art and vineyards of the award-winning winery Clos Pegase and sample some of its estate wines. This evening, the tables are turned as you join a hands-on cooking class at a famous culinary school. You'll group into teams with your fellow travellers and prepare a delicious four-course gourmet meal alongside top chef instructors. When finished, toast your efforts with a glass of champagne and hors d'oeuvres before enjoying the fruits of your labour at a Farewell Dinner with a wine pairing of locally produced wines.
Day 8
NAPA - DEPART SAN FRANCISCO
Wrap up your Wine Country sojourn this morning with a tour of the beautiful chateau and vineyards of Domaine Carneros. Learn the Local Speciality secrets of sparkling wine production and toast your fellow travellers with a seated wine tasting of sparkling wines. Before you know it, it will be time to say one last 'Cheers' in California—take your complimentary transfer to San Francisco International Airport, or to the hotel in San Francisco if you are extending your stay. Please do not schedule any flights before 5 p.m.